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[Page 119]
November 17, 18
Tonight in the Billet a long yarning with Serg. Sellers, Norm Reid's successor – and Seller's old friend. ,,coming to the Amb. to take Norm's place, he had no idea whose place he was filling…. A yarning that brought Chaddy's name in it – and men that have died of the war….
So far from the war that only rarely, faintly over the hill, comes the low long pulsation of the tired guns.. like the low beating of wind in old trees…
BOIS ST.JULIEN. November 18
132.
Leaving Ecuire at 8 a.m. on arriving here to the worst Billets we've been in since April 1916 at 2 p.m. … However the Aristocrats granted early the pick Billet, and so "alls well".
The Day splendid for marching – full 'pack-up'…
Report says we are the first troops billeted here with these peasants,… at any rate Madame has a deal to learn.. already a barrel of cider – full flavoured fine stuff – found in a cellar, is emptied to the dregs… Her supply of eggs and coffee exhausted… to her credit though a great well stored harvesting of potatoes..and the troops enjoy nothing so well as "chip potatoes"…. Turning in early, for a reading of Good Friday.
November 18, 19, 20
133.
November 19
A day to write up tomorrow. Evening now – cold in a windy billet where anywhere not deeply between covering blankets is impossible.
134. November 20.
Two days of no sun…. A mail last night – a charming little note from Bernice Edwell, and a forwarding note from Mother, Sept. 2… written the day before her letter I received at Renescure a few nights back. Mother writes of four books arriving from Edinburgh, since Betty's book arrived two must be from Beaumonts, two from Edinburgh being the two I left in a sweet shop by the Hotel.. just leaving Edinburgh for York. The four will be Stephen's "The Rebellion in Ireland" and a book of poetry – both read in the train to Edinburgh and Craig's Art of the Theatre and a book of Symons essays.
Today payed – drew 50 F., Tigne Lee paying: he back from attachment to A.D.M.S. A big batch of new reinforcements arrived during pay, played in by bagpipes… says Bib, "They've got a – hyde 'eh?"